From screen to state: Vijay’s scripted rise in Tamil Nadu polls

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like The question on everyone’s minds when Thalabathi (a Tamil word meaning Commander) Vijay announced the formation of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in 2024 was simple: Will his onscreen persona convert fandom into a substantial political following? May 4’s verdict answered it. Joseph Vijay Chandrasker, the 51-year-old film star who began his film career in the 1990s with chocolate boy romances and, over three decades, veered towards playing the saviour who railed against injustice and corruption, received a decisive mandate in his first-ever electoral outing. The two-year-old party won 107 seats in Tamil Nadu’s 234 seat-strong assembly, leaving behind the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). TVK chief and Tiruchirappalli East constituency candidate Vijay. (PTI)Vijay, who acted in a leading role in 68 films, most of them blockbusters, built his appeal in phases. His earliest films of the 1990s were not political in any explicit sense. They were romances and family dramas where he played the earnest, self-effacing “boy next door.” In films like Poove Unakkaga (1996) and Kadhalukku Mariyadhai (1997), his character was defined by sacrifice, empathy and moral clarity. These roles did not articulate ideology, but they did something more foundational. They built trust. Audiences saw in him a figure who was accessible, relatable and emotionally sincere. This was the first layer of his political capital, a strong foundation. The second phase arrived in the 2000s, when Vijay transitioned into a mass-action hero. Films like Gilli (2004) and Pokkiri (2010) recast him as decisive and fearless, a figure who could bend systems that were otherwise immovable and corrupt. Here too, the scripts remained largely apolitical, but they carried a subtext that mattered. Institutions were ineffective or distant or corrupt, but the individual delivered justice. The hero was no longer just relatable, he was also trustworthy and dependable. The third phase, which began in the 2010s, made the shift explicit. In Thuppakki, Kaththi, Mersal and Sarkar — all films that came out between 2012 and 2018 — Vijay’s characters began to speak directly about governance, rights and accountability. Corruption, corporate power, healthcare and electoral integrity were no longer background elements; they were the device, the plot. As commercial entertainers, these films simplified complex issues into emotionally resonant frames. Vijay, the hero, delivered justice where traditional institutions did not, and this may have resonated deeply with a society tired of bureaucratic flab and political inefficiency. For instance, Mersal (2017, directed by Atlee) offered a sharp critique of the health care system and its growing commercialisation, with Vijay in a triple role, most notably as a doctor who treats the poor for just ₹5, symbolising an alternative ethic of care, against for-profit medicine. Sarkar (2018, A.R. Murugadoss) presciently featured Vijay as Sundar, a tech CEO who returns to India only to find his own name missing from the electoral rolls, prompting him to challenge the system and, in the process, take on electoral malpractices while asserting the rights of disenfranchised voters. By the time Vijay entered politics, the audiences had already seen him not just as a hero, but as a spokesperson for public concerns. This was no accident. Nor is this script new to Tamil Nadu. The late M G Ramachandran or MGR, who founded the AIADMK was the first to leverage his films to build an ideological and emotional connection with the masses. M. Karunanidhi, of the DMK demonstrated how sharply crafted dialogues could carry ideological weight, and turned cinema into a powerful vehicle for political messaging long before the actor ever stepped into office. His political rival, J. Jayalalithaa (MGR’s heroine in many movies and his political heir) translated her on-screen authority and charisma into a commanding political presence that resonated deeply with the electorate. Even superstars Rajinikanth, and Kamal Hasan cultivated a moral voice through their films and dabbled with politics. Vijay’s path differs in its pacing. His transition was gradual, allowing audiences to grow into his political image rather than confront it abruptly. But once he launched his party, he moved fast. Vijay’s young fan base is central to this shift. These are voters less anchored to traditional party structures and more responsive to personality-driven narratives. For them, cinema is not separate from politics. It is often the first site where political ideas are encountered, simplified and internalised. On the ground, this translated into a strikingly simple voting behaviour. At the St. Mary’s Road polling booth in Mylapore constituency, this writer met five young voters, four of whom did not even know the name of their local candidate. They were voting for “Vijay Anna”, the “whistle.” The symbol had replaced the individual, and the individual had been replaced by the image. There is a structural reason why this translation worked. Vijay’s films rarely alienate. They combine populist rhetoric with broadly acceptable themes like fairness, welfare and accountability. This allowed him to speak across constituencies without appearing ideologically rigid. His politics, much like his cinema, remained accessible. Rumor has it that Jana Nayagan (yet to be released), directed by H Vinoth, was Vijay’s attempt to position himself as a modern ideological heir to MGR. In the film — whose release was stayed by the Madras high court in January, but whose high definition print was leaked earlier month — Vijay’s character must fight against a self-serving political class that is inept or is willing to exploit the nation for the sake of power. Vijay’s political victory sets him up for his next unscripted phase. Cinema simplifies conflict into individuals defeating systems. Real-world governance demands systems that outlast individuals. The very qualities that made Vijay effective on screen will now be tested in a space that is inherently complex and negotiated. As Tamil Nadu watches his next move, one thing is clear: Vijay’s political journey did not begin with just a party launch or a provocative speech. It began on screen, in stories that gradually converted the hero into a leader. After years of carefully constructing his persona in films layered with political symbolism, and turning those into votes at the ballot box, the question is: will he deliver?